During power outages, consumers may use portable gasoline-powered generators. Traditional portable gasoline powered generators provide just enough power to keep a few home appliances running during a power outage. Portable gasoline-powered generators require constant attention to ensure the generators are being used safely. Some of the limitations of portable gasoline-powered generators include: the need to be located in well ventilated locations, usually physically outside of a home or other building; the need to prevent exhaust fumes from entering an interior of the home or building; and having to cool the generator before refueling.
Recent natural disasters have increased sales and installations of standby gas generators as opposed to portable gasoline-powered generators due to their attractive longevity for energizing a home. While standby generators may energize a home for a number of days, they are expensive to install as they must be integrated with a home's electrical system and have an ongoing fuel cost to remain operational. Installing and using a standby gas generator may present a number of problems aside from installation and operational costs. A standby gas generator is generally installed in an outdoor space which makes urban installations potentially impossible. A standby gas generator is dependent on fossil fuel for continuous operation. Standby generators may operate at decibel levels above that permitted by local ordinances. Standby generators may require a professional installations, local permits, and inspections to install the unit to a home or building.
Due to the challenges faced with portable and standby gas generators and a general desire for more environmental friendly power sources, consumers have sought alternative options for off-grid power. Alternative options include solar power, wind power, and micro-hydro power. Solar power is able to draw energy from the sun and function for a long period of time by having a system with photovoltaic solar panels, an inverter, and batteries. Solar power systems may be easy to maintain after an initial installation with minimal maintenance. The draw back to solar power may be that it may take years, if not decades, to receive a return on investment after the initial installation and the performance of a solar power system will vary dramatically depending on geographic location and exposure to the sun. Wind powered systems are able to generate electricity based on wind by having residential (or larger) sized wind turbines. Wind turbines must rely on wind energy to successfully allow the home to be powered off the grid, may be unsightly due to the turbine installed on outdoor property, and may be difficult to install in urban locations due to needing real estate for the installation. Micro-hydro power systems use a source of running water, such as a stream, to generate electricity. Micro-hydro power systems require a running water source in close proximity to take advantage of the energy produced by the flow of water to generate electricity.
As alternative energies have been explored, the use of batteries to provide long-term off-grid power has also been explored. For example, US Patent Application Nos. 2012/0161564, US 2010/0270883 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,782,015 teach alternative energy systems which rely on battery power. Barriers faced by using batteries including working within the constraints of the law of conservation of energy by avoiding the design of a perpetual motion machine (i.e., closed-loop system). In order to avoid designing a perpetual motion machine, some have integrated the battery-based systems with other alternative energy sources to provide external energy to charge batteries. The charged batteries are then discharged or depleted to provide a power supply to a home or building. An example includes US Patent Application No. US 2014/0265695. Notwithstanding the above, there is still a need for developing an alternative power supply which is able to run independent of an external energy source which relies on the environment (e.g., sun, wind, water), does not require large outdoor property for installation, a method which does not simultaneously deplete a battery while trying to charge the battery, preventing the design of a closed-loop system, and optimizing the system for compatibility with modern, high energy capacity batteries (i.e., batteries having a high charge rate).
What is needed is a power supply charging system which may be portable to adapt to a number of locations, fixed to a specific location, or can be adapted for both. What is needed is a power supply charging system which does not need to be installed on outside property of a facility and can be used safely inside of a facility. What is needed is a power supply charging system which is able to operate off-grid without relying on local environment (i.e., sun, wind, or water) but may be compatible with alternative energy systems. What is needed is a power supply charging system which is reliable and is able to run for extended periods of time with minimal intervention by a user. What is needed is a power supply charging system which is environmentally friendly with a reduced carbon footprint even with continuous use. What is needed is a power supply charging system which does not try to bypass the law of conservation of energy and is not a perpetual motion machine (i.e., closed loop system). What is needed is a system which includes a dedicated energy supply integrated into the supply for recharging one or more batteries and allowing the system to deliver continuous energy to its surroundings.